Best Buddies Begin at Hauppauge High School

In support of the newly formed Hauppauge High School Best Buddies Chapter, senior Carley Weinstein and advisors Tanya Bellia and Angela Braun recently attended the 21^st Annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference.   The three-day conference was held at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.  It brought together leaders, with and without disabilities, from high schools and colleges worldwide, providing them with personalized training to develop leadership skills that are needed to organize a Best Buddies chapter.

 Anthony Kennedy Shriver and Hauppauge High School senior Carley Weinstein at the 21st Annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference.

Carley, who will be serving as the 2010-2011 club president stated, “The 2010 Leadership Conference was incredibly inspirational.  People with intellectual and cultural differences connected and we made lifelong friendships.”

Through numerous breakout sessions, attendees enhanced their knowledge of the Best Buddies movement by learning about and discussing topics including the global disability rights movement, inclusion, advocacy, professionalism, public speaking, time management, fundraising, and volunteer management.

Attendees were challenged to explore their full potential, tap into their power to motivate others, and translate awareness into quality friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For more than 20 years, the conference has inspired thousands of leaders to be Best Buddies ambassadors and to bring about social change in their communities. 

“It is my hope that Best Buddies will touch the hearts of Hauppauge, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that process,” said Carley.

Founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies has chapters in each of the 50 states.  The organization continues to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).